A Top Chef comes west

Looks like Casey Thompson, former chef at Dallas Shinsei and Top Chef finalist, has been keeping house lately in California's Bay Area. But this spring, she turns her attention to Fort Worth. With partner Sam Sameni, a nightclub and entertainment consultant in Dallas, Thompson will launch a new concept called Brownstone at the corner of Crockett and Currie in the West 7th development.

"We want our customers to feel like theyre attending a dinner or cocktail party in someones home," says Sameni. "We dont want this to feel like a restaurant." Design elements in the 5,000-square-foot space will have a residential touch, right down to a waiting area with bookshelves and a fireplace.

Brownstone, which will offer Thompsons progressive American cuisine, will be based in Fort Worth, but hopes to expand to multiple locations. Look for a late March opening, says Sameni.

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